Council Proceedings, May 28, 1868

This is the transcript of one of the discussions leading to the signing of the U.S.-Navajo Treaty of 1868.

[ Note: while spellings and punctuation in this document have been maintained from the original transcription of these proceedings, paragraph breaks and colored text have been added to make it easier to read. ]

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COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS

Proceedings of a Council between General W. T. Sherman and Samuel F. Tappan Commissioners on the part of the United States and the Chiefs and Head men of the Navajo Tribe of Indians held at the Reservation known as Bosque Redondo at Fort Sumner in the Territory of New Mexico on the 28th day of May 1868.

Indian Chiefs Present:
Delgadito
Barboncito
Manuelito
Largo
Herrero
Armijo
Torivio
Jesus Alviso Indian Interpreter and James Sutherland Spanish Interpreter.

General Sherman Said:

The Commissioners are here now for the purpose of learning and knowing all about your condition and we wish to hear from you the truth and nothing but the truth. We have read in our books and learned from our officers that for many years whether right or wrong the Navajos have been at war with us and that General Carleton had removed you here for the purpose of making you agriculturists--with that view the Government of the United States gave you money and built this fort to protect you until you were able to protect yourselves. We find you have done a good deal of work here in making acequias, but we find you have no farms, no herds and are now as poor as you were four years ago when the Government brought you here. That before we discuss what we are to do with you, we want to know what you have done in the past and what you think about your reservation here.

Barboncito said:

The bringing of us here has caused a great decrease of our numbers, many of us have died, also a great number of our animals. Our Grand-fathers had no idea of living in any other country except our own and I do not think it right for us to do so as we were never taught to. When the Navajos were first created four mountains and four rivers were pointed out to us, inside of which we should live, that was to be our country and was given to us by the first woman of the Navajo tribe. It was told to us by our forefathers, that we were never to move east of the Rio Grande or west of the San Juan rivers and I think that our coming here has been the cause of so much death among us and our animals. That our God when he was created (the woman I spoke of) gave us this piece of land and created it specially for us and gave us the whitest of corn and the best of horses and sheep. You can see them (pointing to the other chiefs) ordinarily looking as they are, I think that when the last of them is gone the world will come to an end.

It is true we were brought here, also true we have been taken good care of since we have been here--As soon as we were brought here, we started into work making acequias (and I myself went to work with my party) we made all the Adobes you see here, we have always done as we were told to, if told to bring ashes from the hearth we would do so, carry water and herd stock, we never refused to do anything we were told to do.

This ground we were brought on, it is not productive, we plant but it does not yield, all the stock we brought here have nearly all died. Because we were brought here we have done all we could possibly do, but found it to be labor in vain, and have therefore quit it, for that reason we have not planted or tried to do anything this year. It is true we put seed in the ground but it would not grow two feet high, the reason I cannot tell, only I think this ground was never intended for us, we know how to irrigate and farm, still we cannot raise a crop here, we know how to plant all kinds of seed, also how to raise stock and take care of it. The Commissioners can see themselves that we have hardly any sheep or horses, nearly all that we brought here have died and that has left us so poor that we have no means wherewith to buy others--

There are a great many among us who were once well off now they have nothing in their houses to sleep on except gunny sacks, true some of us have a little stock left yet, but not near what we had some years ago, in our old country, for that reason my mouth is dry and my head hangs in sorrow to see those around me who were at one time well off so poor now, when we had a way of living of our own, we lived happy, we had plenty of stock, nothing to do but look at our stock, and when we wanted meat nothing to do but kill it. (Pointing to the chiefs present) they were once rich.

I feel sorry at the way I am fixed here, I cannot rest comfortable at night, I am ashamed to go to the Commissary for my food, it looks as if somebody was waiting to give it to me since the time I was very small until I was a man when I had my father and mother to take care of I had plenty and since that time I have always followed my father's advice and still keep it. viz: to live at peace with everybody.

I think now it is true what my forefathers told me about crossing the line of my own country. It seems that whatever we do here causes death, some work at the Acequias take sick and die, others die with the hoe in their hands, they go to the river to their waists and suddenly disappear, others have been struck and torn to pieces by lightning. A Rattlesnake bite here kills us, in our own country a Rattlesnake before he bites gives warning which enables us to keep out of its way and if bitten we readily find a cure-here we can find no cure. When one of our big men die, the cries of the women causes the tears to roll down on to my moustache. I then think of my own country.

I think the Commissioners have seen one thing, when we came here there was plenty of mesquite root which we used for fuel now there is none nearer than the place where I met the Commissioners 25 miles from here and in the winter many die from cold and sickness and overworking in carrying wood such a long distance on their backs, for that reason we cannot stay contented where we now are. Some years ago I could raise my head and see flocks of cattle in any direction, now I feel sorry I cannot see any; I raise my head and can see herds of stock on my right and left, but they are not mine, it makes me feel sorry thinking of the time when I had plenty.

I can scarcely endure it, I think that all nations round here are against us (I mean Mexicans and Indians) the reason is that we are a working tribe of Indians, and if we had the means we could support ourselves far better than either Mexican or Indian. The Comanches are against us I know it for they came here and killed a good many of our men. In our own country we knew nothing about the Comanches.

Last winter I heard said that there was a Commission coming here, now I am happy it has arrived for I expect to hear from that Commission today the object of its coming here. We have all declared that we do not want to remain here any longer. If I can complete my thoughts today I will give the General my best thanks and think of him as my father and mother. As soon as I heard of your coming I made three pair of moccasins and have worn out two pair of them since, as you see yourselves I am strong and hearty and before I am sick or older I want to go and see the place where I was born, now I am just like a woman, sorry like a woman in trouble. I want to go and see my own country. If we are taken back to our own country, we will call you our father and mother, if you should only tie a goat there we would all live off it, all of the same opinion, I am speaking for the whole tribe, for their animals from the horse to the dog, also the unborn, all that you have heard now is the truth and is the opinion of the whole tribe.

General Sherman said:

I have listened to all you have said of your people and believe you have told us the truth. You are right, the world is big enough for all the people it contains and all should live at peace with their neighbors. All people love the country where they were born and raised, but the Navajos are very few indeed compared with all the people in the world, they are not more than seven leaves to all the leaves you have ever seen--still we want to do to you what is right--right to you--and right to us as a people; If you will live in peace with your neighbors, we will see that your neighbors will be at peace with you--The government will stand between you and other Indians and Mexicans.

Barboncito said:
I hope to God you will not ask me to go to any other country except my own. It might turn out another Bosque Redondo. They told us this was a good place when we came but it is not.

Barboncito said:
I am very well pleased with what you have said, and if we go back to our own country, we are willing to abide by whatever orders are issued to us, we do not want to go to the right or left, but straight back to our own country.